The No Kiss Contract (Jensoo)

3

"There's a Pam Resnick on the line?"

"Thanks, Halima." Jisoo picked it up. "Hello, Pam."

"Hi, Jisoo. I hope you're not too busy. I thought I'd call later in the afternoon in case you were in court today." The warmth that Jisoo always associated with Pam was audible in her voice.

"That's thoughtful of you, but I wasn't in court."

She hadn't seen the inside of a courtroom in a while. Ever since she'd been made head of litigation, she spent all her time overseeing others' cases instead of chairing her own.

"I still remember a few things from working for your father."

"I suppose you're calling about Cherry's party?"

"Yes, but before we talk about that, I just want to explain about Jennie. She's got a lot on her plate, and Louis and I were a little under the weather the other night, which was why she had to come instead of me. She was worried about us, that's all."

"I see." Who was Louis? Pam's husband?Boyfriend?

"Anyway, it's so good to hear your voice. It's lovely that you've moved nearby, and that you've offered to host the party. Cherry is really looking forward to it."

"I want her to have whatever she wants. I want to fix things." She brought her calendar onto the screen. "Let's talk dates."

It took about ten minutes to hammer out most of the details. Pam suggested a caterer and a DJ, and Jisoo offered to pay for it all. As they were wrapping up the conversation, Pam said, "I'm sorry to ask you this, but do you know anything about evictions?"

"It's not really my area, no. Why? Are you having a problem with your landlord? But I thought you owned a house?"

"Oh no, not me, honey. Jennie got an eviction notice, but I know for a fact that she always pays her rent on time."

"Without knowing the details, there's not much I can do. Tell her to call me and maybe I can help—either answer some questions or refer her to someone who knows more than I do." Jisoo doubted she would be getting a call from Anna, but there was something about Pam that made her want to be helpful.

"You're so kind, Jisoo, thank you. I know you girls didn't always see eye to eye, but now that you're living close by, maybe you can be friends?"

"We'll see." She doubted it. "I'm glad Cherry's excited about the party. I heard she wants us to wear costumes. What are you going to wear? What costume should I wear?"

"Oh, I wasn't going to wear a costume, but you should. Be a princess or a superhero or something. Whatever strikes your fancy."

Jisoo would put Halima on that task. Or maybe she could get advice from Cherry. It would be a good way to open up the lines of communication. "Does Tally have a phone? I could ask her."

"Of course. She got one for Christmas. Here's her number." Pam sounded almost overjoyed that Jisoo was asking for it, and that made her feel terrible. She jotted down the number and said good-bye just as her boss gave a cursory knock on her open glass door and breezed in.

Roland Spar—leonine and graying—sank into the chair opposite her desk, looking ready for a chat. "Howdy, neighbor. I haven't seen you around the block. How's the new house?"

Jisoo flushed, still somewhat ambivalent about her new house. A five- bedroom behemoth in suburban Elmdale, three houses down from her boss's home, purchased primarily because he mentioned it in passing one day. She had figured that emulating the lifestyles of the senior partners was the quickest way to a place among their offices on the thirty-seventh floor, but some gossip around the proverbial watercooler now had her thinking she had acted in haste. "Never mind that. Is it true about Conant? He's getting de-equitized?"

Roland had a good poker face, but Jisoo could tell he was surprised that she had already heard the news. Leonard Conant hadn't contributed to Archer, Conant & Spar in any meaningful way in years. If he was on his way out, a name equity partnership would become available. And Jisoo wanted it.

"Not de-equitized." Roland stood and wandered to the wall of barrister bookcases that lined the only nontransparent wall of her glass office, then fiddled with the gold scales of justice her father had given her when she passed the bar. "Retirement."

Retirement, her growing-larger-by-the-year ass. He was getting the boot. The fact that Roland didn't meet her eyes told her that much. An opportunity like this was unexpected, to say the least. "How do I get on the short list for consideration?"

Roland turned to her, not bothering to hide the surprise this time. "Jisoo, come on. You only just made partner. Not even you can make the leap that far, that fast."

Who the hell said so? Jisoo had been hearing no all her professional life and still managed to become the youngest partner at the firm, and they both knew why. She was a motherfucking rainmaker, with a more robust book of business than practically every other lawyer in the shop.
"I'm sure I'd become even better at landing the big fish with my name on the door." She was making bank for these old men. They'd better keep her sweet.

"Duly noted. What's happening with Bionational?"

Jisoo clenched her jaw at the blatant change of topic, but went with it. She had made her point. "Lunch on Tuesday. First step is setting the snare."

"Good. Do you need any support?"

"Do I ever?"

"All right, hot shot." Roland laughed. "Keep me posted." He made for the door.

"Hey, I'm serious about taking Conant's seat."

"I hear you. Let me get the lay of the land." He turned back. "Oh, you have a guest pass waiting for you at the club. If you're going to live in Elmdale, you'll have to go where the action is. I have a magic putter if you need one."

Jisoo shot daggers with her eyes at his retreating back. It wasn't enough that she was excellent at her job, worked insane hours, and brought in a ton of business. She had to play the game. Move to a ritzy suburb, buy a house, and keep her membership at the Elmdale Country Club in good standing. Nobody expected her to play golf and glad-hand her neighbors when she lived in Tribeca. Who had time for golf? The goddamn commute was already eating into her productivity, and she hadn't even thought about furnishing that fucking Overlook Hotel of a house she had bought yet.

She swiveled so she was looking out at the city and took several deep breaths. This is what you want, she reminded herself. Once your name is on the letterhead, you won't be beholden to any of these men. You could play golf every damn day like Roland, or you could chase the ski season like your father, or whatever the hell you want. All her drive and ambition were aimed at reaching the top spot at this firm, and once she got there, she would have lots of time to decide how to fill her leisure hours while those on the lower rungs lined her pockets. One thing was certain: she wouldn't be filling those hours with fucking golf.

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To be continued 😉